


To the Most Beautiful One

by Nebula5030



Series: Merwaine Oneshots [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Apples, Fluff, Gen, Greek - Freeform, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Latin, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Tooth Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 14:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebula5030/pseuds/Nebula5030
Summary: As a way to symbolically show their love, one would throw an apple to the one they loved.  If the apple was caught, that was a way to symbolically show acceptance of that love.Well, Gwaine may not have been very invested in this book, but that sounded cute.“Letting it fall and be crushed was a way to symbolically crush the other’s heart as well, I suppose?” Gwaine muttered as he turned the next page.But, in his mind, he couldn’t help but imagine himself, an apple in hand for a moment before he tossed it to another--and Merlin catching it.





	To the Most Beautiful One

**Author's Note:**

> I was scrolling through Tumblr, when I came across a post that said that the Ancient Greeks had that tradition of throwing apples to confess love ~~or to propose marriage. Guess it depends on where you live lol~~. And I thought it was cute, so thus this fic was born! I hope you enjoy :D

“You need to be educated, Gwaine,” Arthur said simply, his tone brooking no argument and Arthur not looking up from his parchment to address the knight standing in front of him.  

The knight.  The thought was still strange to Gwaine, having only been knighted less than a fortnight before, and now able to find out what exactly that meant now that the kingdom had returned to relative normalcy after the invasion.  

Arthur continued, “You’re a knight of Camelot now- I can’t have you just continue as you have been.  My father and his knights are already going to judge you enough for being common born; getting you educated is simply the first way to deflect their scorn.”

Gwaine scoffed.  “What gives you the idea that I’m _not_ educated?”

Arthur looked up, one eyebrow raise in plain skepticism.  He elected not to answer that question. “Gwaine. I’ve already asked Geoffrey to set aside some books for you to read.  Just get started with those, and we’ll work from there.” He glanced down, ready to continue with his own work, but then he stopped and looked up again, brow furled.  “You _can_ read, can’t you?”

Gwaine rolled his eyes.  “Yes, I can read.”

Arthur pursed his lips, before nodding and turning back to his papers.  “Very good. Now, you have the rest of the afternoon off until we set out for the patrol at the fourth bell, I suggest you go get started on that.”

Gwaine let out a huff, before setting off to the library as per Arthur’s orders.

It wasn’t that Gwaine was actually uneducated- his mother had the education of a noble and taught him everything she knew, after all- but, as Gwaine was uneager to share the truth of his birth with anyone bar Merlin, Gwaine found he had no choice but to at least keep up the pretense of trying to follow Arthur’s curriculum.

He made his way to the library, before poking his head into the room lined with books.

Though Gwaine hadn’t said anything, Geoffrey looked up at the intrusion, and pressed his lips into a line.  “Ah, Sir Gwaine,” he said, standing. “Arthur told me you’d be coming.”

Gwaine stepped in, a smirk on his face.  “Well, here I am. What books do you have for me?”

Geoffrey moved to a shelf behind his table, before grabbing a stack of books two feet high and handing them off to Gwaine.

 _“All of these?”_ Gwaine exclaimed, the stack of books reaching from his hands to up to his chin.

“Hmm, yes,” Geoffrey said, looking over Gwaine with a scrutinizing eye.  “And they all better come back- _and in good condition-_ otherwise I will not allow you in here again.  I don’t care what the prince says.”

Gwaine rolled his eyes.  Why did everyone think so little of him?  “I’ll bring them back. Just as good as they are.”

Geoffrey looked over Gwaine once more, humming slightly, before moving to sit at his table once more.

And with that, Gwaine made his way back to his room, before dropping the stack of books on his table, and finally getting a chance to look them over.

Astronomy, Rome, the history of Camelot, history of Albion, all interspersed with other subjects.

Gwaine let out another huff, before grabbing the one on top.  One on Ancient Greece. Gwaine glanced out the window- still early afternoon- before turning his gaze back to the book.

 _Might as well,_ he thought to himself, before sitting and cracking open the cover.

He tried.  He honestly did, but the words slowly melded together and Gwaine just found himself idly turning pages, his brain wandering.  He already _knew_ most of this.  He didn’t need to learn it again.

Though when he turned another page, he found his gaze landing on a paragraph and actually reading it.

  _As a way to symbolically show their love, one would throw an apple to the one they loved.  If the apple was caught, that was a way to symbolically show acceptance of that love._

 Well, Gwaine may not have been very invested in this book, but that sounded cute.

“Letting it fall and be crushed was a way to symbolically crush the other’s heart as well, I suppose?” Gwaine muttered as he turned the next page.

But, in his mind, he couldn’t help but imagine himself, an apple in hand for a moment before he tossed it to another-

-and Merlin catching it.

Gwaine slammed the book shut, before letting out a breath as he shut his eyes, trying to force the image from his mind.  To get it to go away. But, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get Merlin’s smile to leave.

Gwaine let out a sigh and dropped his head to the table.  It could never be. He knew that. Merlin was, well, _Merlin._  Kind, sassy, smart, _gorgeous_ , Merlin.

And Gwaine was, well, _Gwaine._

But Gwaine sat up and shook a hand through his hair, before leaning back and sighing at the ceiling.  

He was in love with Merlin.  Gwaine knew it. Painfully, hopelessly in love.  And there was nothing he could do about it.

He glanced out the window again.  Perhaps an hour had passed since he started reading, and it now must have been just after the third bell.

Well, might as well start to get ready for that patrol.

 

Nighttime found Gwaine and the rest of Arthur’s knights sitting around a campfire near the border, each watching the flames and in their own thoughts (save for Percival, who was standing watch a little ways off).  But, Gwaine found his gaze on the one at Arthur’s side- Merlin, who was poking at the fire with a stick. He was adjusting the logs, but in all honesty it was probably just an effort to look busy so Arthur wouldn’t give him more work.

Gwaine smirked, and lifted his waterskin to take a sip.

(Though _wineskin_ would have been more accurate.  Not that Arthur needed to know that.)

Arthur lifted his head and looked at them all.  “So, you all know I’m trying to get you all educated.  How is that coming?”

“Started reading the book you lent on the history of the Gauls” Lancelot said immediately.  “Managed to get halfway before we had to leave.”

Arthur nodded.  “Elyan?”

“Haven’t started yet, Arthur.  Sorry- had to help in the forge.  I’ll get on that tomorrow.”

Arthur nodded.  Before turning to Gwaine.  “Gwaine?”

“Eh, not really,” he said, taking a pull from his wineskin.  “Nothing jumped out at me.”

Arthur let out a sigh.  “Gwaine, you need to be educated.”

“And like I asked earlier, Arthur, what gives you the impression I’m not?” Gwaine challenged back.  “Why did you make Geoffrey give me a stack of books two feet high?”

Lancelot blinked.  “You got two feet worth of books?”

“Yeah. How much did you get?”

“Just five.”

Merlin turned and gave Arthur a disapproving look.   _“Seriously,_ Arthur?  Gwaine’s been living just fine on his own for years- why _do_ you seem to think he’s so… ignorant?”

“I don’t!”  Arthur exclaimed defensively.  “I just… Gwaine’s a private person.  How am I supposed to know what he does or doesn’t know?”

“Oh just like you didn’t know I could read,” Gwaine retorted.

Arthur sighed and dropped his head.  “I guess I’m just… nervous. You all are the first knights I’ve knighted without my father’s consent.  I suppose I want to make sure that everyone else sees you as worthy as I do.”

Gwaine’s eyebrows lifted- Arthur must have been more stressed than he’d realized if he’d openly admitted this in front of people.

Though with the current state of the king… Gwaine took another sip, his brow darkening.

Merlin looked up, his eyes soft.  “Arthur, your people trust you. It’s only those who are stuck on the lineage of nobles who think less of your knights.  If you say that these men can be trusted to protect them, they’ll believe it. It doesn’t matter if they know of the history of-” he gestured to Lancelot- _“Gaul_ or whatever.”

Arthur didn’t move for a moment, before he lifted his head.  He turned to Merlin as he smirked, teasing. “I don’t expect you to understand, Merlin.  You don’t have the pressure of an entire kingdom on your shoulders.”

A new expression came to Merlin’s face, though Gwaine was unable to decipher it.

Arthur let out a sigh.  “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been born… as I am,” he said, looking up at the stars.  “Life would be so much simpler if I was just a farmer. I wouldn’t have to worry about my father approving my choice of knights.  I wouldn’t have to worry about a _kingdom_ wondering if I made the right choice.”

 _“Magna servitus est magna fortuna,”_ Gwaine muttered, staring at the flames of the campfire- Merlin no longer pointlessly jabbing at it with a stick.  “A great fortune is a great slavery.”

When no one spoke, he looked up to see the rest of the group staring at him with wide eyes.  Gwaine couldn’t help but notice Merlin looked impressed, and the sight made him feel warm inside.

Arthur lifted a finger, pointing at Gwaine.  His mouth opened and closed several times, before he choked out, “Did you just speak _Latin?”_

Ah.  They noticed.  Well, might as well roll with it.

Gwaine smirked.  “Ah, _veritas odit moras._  Had to come out eventually, didn’t it?”

Arthur stuttered for another moment, before saying, “I didn’t know you could speak Latin.”

Gwaine shrugged.  “Not much use for it.  Had no reason to let you all know.”

Arthur glanced at Lancelot, before turning back to Gwaine.  “What _else_ do you know, Gwaine?”

To which Gwaine only smirked.  “Ah. A man who reveals all his secrets is either boring or a fool.”

Arthur blanched.  “Who said _that?”_

“Oh, I did,” Gwaine said, leaning back on his hands, and giving Arthur a smirk.  “That’s just me. Like I said, Arthur, why _do_ you think I’m uneducated?”

Arthur only stuttered, trying to formulate a response over the snickers of Elyan.

And Gwaine could only hope he wasn’t imagining the admiring look Merlin was giving him.

 

They set out the next morning at first light, riding for most of the day before stopping for a mid-day meal.  

It was as Gwaine was digging through his provisions (not knowing what the kitchen staff had prepared for him) that he pulled out something.

An apple.  Crisp and red and perfect.

Before he even realized, he had glanced at Merlin, who was digging through his own saddle bag, muttering to himself as he tried to locate something that he _could have sworn was in here._

_“As a way to symbolically show their love, one would throw an apple to the one they loved.”_

Gwaine felt a sudden feeling through his stomach, and the fantasy he’d had only the day before returned.  Gwaine let out a breath. Even if he were to toss Merlin the apple, Merlin didn’t know about the custom. It wouldn’t mean anything.

But, maybe, just for him…

Before he’d even realized, the words slipped from his mouth.

“Oi, Merlin.”

Merlin turned.  Gwaine held up the apple as he raised an eyebrow in a silent _you want?_

Merlin blinked for a moment, before he smiled and nodded, holding out a hand to catch it.

Gwaine tossed him the apple-

And Merlin caught it, smiling as he did so.

Gwaine’s stomach flipped as he watched Merlin take a bite, before glancing at Gwaine and smiling once more, the juices running down his chin.

Gwaine smiled in return and gave a nod, before turning back to his own bag, yet not taking his eyes from Merlin and watching as Merlin laughed, brilliant and beautiful, at something Percival had said.  Merlin said something in response, before holding the apple in his teeth as he continued to dig through his bag to find whatever it was that was needed.

_"If the apple was caught, that was a way to symbolically show acceptance of that love."_

And Gwaine sighed, before turning back to his own bag and giving his head a soft shake.   _If only…_

 

Several days had passed since the patrol returned to Camelot.  But Gwaine had not forgotten about the moment with the apple. How it had felt when Merlin caught it.

He was in his room, quite literally pounding his head against the book on astronomy (very tempted to just go to Arthur and yell at him, _“Arthur, I spent years on the road staring up at the night sky, I can already identify the planets without this book!")_ when there was a knock at his door.

Gwaine lifted his head and squinted at the door.  “Yes?” he called. The door opened.

And in walked his favorite person.

“Ah, Merlin!” Gwaine said, straightening and a smile already on his face.  “What can I help you with, mate?”

“I was wondering whether you knew where Percival is,” Merlin asked.  “Arthur sent me to tell him something, but I can’t find him.”

Gwaine hummed, before shaking his head.  “No, can’t say. Have you asked Elyan?”

Merlin shook his head.  “I was going to try him next.”  He cocked his head, thoughtful. “What are you reading?”

Gwaine flashed him the cover.  “Astronomy. You know, stars and stuff.”

Merlin nodded, before smiling softly.  “That one’s a good one. Who knows, maybe at some point you and I can spend a night stargazing together.  You probably know a lot of good stories about the stars.”

Gwaine’s stomach flipped, but he only smirked.  “Only the best ones.”

Merlin smiled in return for a moment, before his eyes landed on the pile of books still on Gwaine’s table.

And they widened in shock.

Gwaine’s own expression fell to concern.  “Merlin, mate, you alright?”

“F-fine, Gwaine,” Merlin said.  “I’ll just-” then he gestured over his shoulder.  “Go then, shall I?”

And he left, Gwaine sitting and staring after him, unable to shake the feeling that he’d just missed something obvious.

 

It was several days before Gwaine managed to have a conversation with Merlin again.  Gwaine was walking through the halls, his thoughts trailing back to the man in question, as they always seemed to, when he spotted Merlin out by himself on the training field, just sitting and staring intently at something in his hands.  It looked like he wasn’t doing anything, and it _was_ Gwaine’s day off after all.

Gwaine smiled.  Might as well join him.  And with that thought, he made his way down to the training field and approached Merlin.

“Merlin?”

Merlin jumped, startled, before blinking owlishly at Gwaine.  “Oh, hi, Gwaine,” he said, frantically hiding whatever it was in his hands behind his back.

Gwaine cocked his head slightly, before smirking.  He elected not to comment about the obvious. “Mind if I join you?”

Merlin blinked.  “Oh, no! Not at all.  Uh, come sit,” he said, scooting down the bench slightly so Gwaine could join him.  

“Did you need something, Gwaine?” Merlin asked, not dismissively, but just genuinely curious.

Gwaine shook his head.  “Nah. Just saw you and wanted to come talk.”

He glanced at Merlin, and Merlin smiled.  “I’m glad.” He let out a breath. “So, how are your studies coming?”

Gwaine groaned in frustration, before going on a rant about the truth of his supposed _uneducation._  Merlin laughed all the while, only getting louder at all the jabs Gwaine made at Arthur.

They spent several more minutes just talking, Merlin asking questions about things Gwaine had tried to read, and both of them being surprised by what the other already knew.

The conversation reached a lull at some point, and it was then that Gwaine noticed Merlin was still holding the object that he had hidden behind his back, only now down by his thigh opposite Gwaine.

Gwaine nodded to indicate at it.  “Can I see what you have there? Or is it a secret?” Gwaine asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

Gwaine expected Merlin to roll his eyes and scoff, but instead Merlin glanced away.  Was he… _blushing?_  But then he brought the object in hand forward.  “It’s… this,” he said, handing it to Gwaine. “It’s for you, actually.”

Gwaine’s stomach flipped.  Something for him? From _Merlin?_  And he took it from Merlin’s hand.

It was an apple.

With a word carved into it.

_Καλλίστη._

Now, Gwaine was able to _speak_ some Greek, but was unable to _read_ it much more beyond the sounds the letters made.  “Ka...kalli-?”

 _“Kallisti,”_ Merlin murmured.  “It means... ‘to the most beautiful one.’”

Gwaine looked up, his brow furled.  “What?”

“It… it comes from a myth,” Merlin began.  “Eris, the goddess of discord, was angry because she wasn’t invited to a wedding.  In an act of revenge, she threw an apple engraved with this word-” he tapped the apple in Gwaine’s hands- “to the three goddesses who were in attendance.  Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera.

“The three goddesses, of course, all claimed that they were the chosen recipient of the apple, and that it couldn’t be any of the other ones.  So, they picked Paris of Troy to decide. But, well, I’ll skip over the boring bits, but basically the apple led to the Trojan War.”

Ah, now _that_ was a story Gwaine had heard.

“All for an apple, huh?”  Gwaine smirked, but it fell to confusion a moment later.  “But… why are you giving it to me?”

Merlin looked up and blinked, his eyes owlish once more.  “You mean you… you mean you don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?”

Merlin blinked again before turning his gaze away again.  “I… I saw the book. On your table. The one about Greece,” Merlin stammered, a furious blush rising to his cheeks.  “I-I thought you’d read it, because when you tossed me the apple I thought-”

“Wait, Merlin,” Gwaine said, stopping him.  “You… you’ve _read_ that one?”

“You thought I hadn’t?” Merlin responded.  “Gaius wanted to make sure I was properly educated- first thing I did while in Camelot.  It’s probably where Arthur got the idea, actually.”

Gwaine’s stomach flipped.  “So… when I tossed you the apple-”

“I suspected,” Merlin said.  “Or, maybe rather _hoped,_ but didn’t think it was possible until I saw the book sitting on your table.  The- the myth. The one about Eris throwing the apple. It’s what started the tradition of, well…” he trailed off.

“... of tossing someone an apple to confess your love,” Gwaine finished softly.

Merlin looked up and met Gwaine’s eyes, and Gwaine smiled softly.  He shrugged. “I didn’t read much of that book, but I did read that bit.”

Merlin blinked, before he smirked.  “Well, then, there’s something I want to do.”

Before Gwaine could ask, Merlin snatched the apple from Gwaine’s hand and stood up.

“Merlin?” Gwaine asked as he moved to follow, but Merlin held out his hand in a _stay,_ before taking a couple steps away from the bench.

But then he turned around and held up the apple.

Gwaine blinked in surprise, before letting out a soft disbelieving laugh as he held out his own hand.

Merlin tossed him the apple-

\- and Gwaine caught it.

Merlin’s smile was so bright and radiant that Gwaine felt his heart stutter in his chest, unable to believe Merlin was looking at _him_ like that.

Though he was sure the expression was mirrored on his own face.

Merlin moved and sat next to Gwaine on the bench once more, before moving slightly closer and pressing their sides together and leaning softly against him.  Something Gwaine was _not_ going to complain about.

Gwaine rubbed his thumb over the inscription on the apple, smiling softly at it, all while leaning into Merlin as well.  “‘To the most beautiful one,’ eh?” Gwaine asked softly.

Merlin nudged him with his shoulder.  “That’s what the myth said.”

“Well, I think this is yours, then,” Gwaine said, holding the apple back out to Merlin.

Merlin looked up, his brow furled in confusion and maybe a little hurt.  “What, why?”

“Well obviously it can’t be for me.  You’re much more beautiful than I am, Merlin.”

Merlin blinked, before giving Gwaine a playful shove as he laughed.  “Come on! Gwaine, look at you! You’re-!” he gestured to Gwaine vaguely.

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘rogueish,’” Gwaine said with a smirk and a wink.  “Which I will agree on. But in terms of beauty, you, Merlin, have me beat.” But then Gwaine’s smirk turned to something softer- something more of a _smile-_ and he put his hand to Merlin’s cheek in a way he had always wanted to.

“You’re my _kallisti.”_

Merlin met Gwaine’s eyes, rendered speechless, before he snorted and began laughing.  “That is _so_ not correct grammar.”

And Gwaine only smiled, before shrugging.  “Perhaps not, but it’s true, regardless.”

Merlin laughed softly once more, before shaking his head in fondness.  But then he leaned down and rested his head on Gwaine’s shoulder. “You flatterer,” he said.

Gwaine chuckled once, before resting his head on top of Merlin’s.  “There’s plenty more where that came from, I assure you.”

And with that, Gwaine let out a contented sigh, placing his hand on Merlin’s and intertwining their fingers together, holding the apple in his other.

**Author's Note:**

> Veritas odit moras - Truth hates delay
> 
> I used https://greeksisters.com/lifestyle/in-ancient-greece-throwing-an-apple-meant-love/ as a brief reference


End file.
